Family Clippings

Winter Vacation 2011

2011-01-20T19:58:00.001-05:00

A great-for-us recipe for relaxation

~all-inclusive

~palm trees and warm weather

~water and sand

~piña colada

A Dear Sister Gets Married, May 29, 2010

2010-06-19T19:55:00.001-05:00

Chrissy the beautiful bride

Chrissy and her seven bridesmaids, two juinor bridesmaides, and little flower girl

My sister Abby and cousin Maria did ALL the flowers for the day.

Most of the wedding party

Phillip was the ring bearer and he took great care to look after the little flower girl Sierra. She didn't always like it (he can be a little over-bearing) but it was so cute to watch.

Almost all of Oma V's children.

So sweet! Once again my mom did a GREAT job on the cake!!

Spring walk near Jordan

2010-06-17T09:04:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago, we had a scenic outing with Dad & Mom VD, touring the beautiful landscape south of Jordan. We first went and saw this old maple tree, and then enjoyed a beautiful walk around a trout pond and through a forest of thick-trunked, high-topped trees.

Dad found this tree with our nieces Emily and Marie a couple years ago. From Wikipedia: "The Comfort Maple tree is a sugar maple located in Comfort Maple Conservation Area in the Town of Pelham, Ontario. The tree is estimated to be about 500 years old. While this estimate is not based upon a complete ring count, if correct, it would make this one of the oldest sugar maple trees in Canada."

We tried a bit of fishing... Jesse and Phillip are learning well this most-important family tradition.

Our sons and their Grandparents.

Thanks for the lovely walk Dad and Mom!!

Winter - part 2

2010-05-07T13:28:00.011-05:00

Both kids sick for a day with the flu.

Curt's Birthday.

Enjoying a fire in the woods at the V's house.

Fun times around the house.

Christmas.

A sad sad day for us (Dec 13). Phillip still talks about and misses this faithful car. So thankful though that everyone in the car (we weren't in it) walked away without a scratch!

The replacement.

Wasn't but a few weeks later and Curt takes it out on Lake Simcoe to go ice fishing...

...and all he had to show for it is this dinky fish (and Curt says some nervous nibbles from its fish-friends)

Winter at long last (Feb.)

2010-05-06T18:34:00.002-05:00

So sick of trying to move these pictures around that I'm just going to leave it looking as it is.

Picture taken by Phillip.

Elora Town & Gorge

2009-10-27T11:17:00.000-05:00

Last Monday we just had to get away. Where else than one of the cute little towns around here? Though there's just a limited amount to see in a small town, we still had lots of fun.

A beautiful lady we found there.

Perhaps slight mixup between a millstone and a ship's wheel.

Jesse was quite awestruck by the waterfalls. He kept saying in a low voice, "Wow."

When driving through new countryside, you always end up seeing new stuff you never knew was there before. On our way back, we stumbled upon "Kissing Bridge." We didn't know we had the real thing here in Ontario. Phillip thought it was great, especially driving through it, which we did a few times. :)

We got back to Kitchener around 6pm, and as we promised Phillip, we went to "a fun place;" a three layer indoor jungle gym -- lots of slides, and a ball room.

Thanksgiving Weekend (2) - Thanksgiving Day

2009-10-21T21:19:00.000-05:00

Curt had hoped to take Phillip to Rockton fair on Friday, but since we were not able, and since we were in Cambridge on Thanksgiving Day, we decided to go there for a couple hours together on Monday. Though it was quite chilly, the kids loved it! Jen's youngest sister Esther, was with us too, and she was amazed at how big the fair was.

One of the first things we saw was a horse show.

This juggler is not only juggling a knife, bowling ball and apple -- but taking a bite of the apple every time it had in his right hand!

The trampoline show was fantastic, though the music was bit too loud -- we kept the kids ears covered.

No fair experience is complete without cotton candy! Phillip and Jesse were addicted after a couple bites.

We saw quite a few animals, although many were already brought home. All the cattle were gone -- sorry Ben! The sheep show was Monday, though, so there were lots of sheep. The kids loved running their fingers through their soft, thick wool. We also saw lots and lots of poultry and doves and pigeons.

And no trip to the fair is complete without rides. But we(Jen, Esther, Phillip) only went on one since it's way too expensive. Phillip absolutely loved it, of course.

Thanksgiving Weekend - Saturday

2009-10-14T16:38:00.004-05:00

Another weekend with lots of driving... but lots of fun and enjoyment. On Friday night, Phillip and I(Curt) were going to go to the Rockton Fair Demolition Derby, but we canned that because of the rain. So instead we all hopped in the car and went to Bowmanville. On Saturday, we got a look at the ten new offspring of the Vogel household.

"I can't catch that wabbit!" Jesse chasing the rabbit around the backyard.

Mark and Mike working on their new project

On Sunday, Jen and I left the kids behind with her parents and went to Brockville and back for a pulpit exchange. On Sunday evening, we drove back to Cambridge, so I could preach in our home church for our thanksgiving service.

Phillip's 4th Birthday

2009-10-02T08:31:00.000-05:00

A Phillip-style cake. I'm afraid he liked it. Our lips and mouths, however, turned green.

Phillip had a little party, with Dad & Mom VD and Ruth, and Pappoo and Yaya from next door!

Lots of presents!

The neighbour's present -- two water proof crank flashlights for Phillip and Jesse!

Jesse playing with his wind-up crocodile from Grandma

Way too many presents!

Daddy saying: "These presents will do for the next three years."

Oh, and a great present from the N.'s -- a Tonka dump truck! Wow!

A Trip to the Park

2009-09-29T18:11:00.000-05:00

Pictures from a few months ago at one of Phillip's favourite local spots. It has nice long walkways, a little forest with a stream running through it, a few ponds, and great jungle-gyms.

Jesse must explore

Phillip's gone up the "lowder!"

Flying and landing Grandma's kite!

Phillip has a try

Did I mention the swings?

The deer are as friendly as the people

and so are the ducks (as long as you don't throw stones at them)

A Few More Ordination Pictures (mostly taken by Phillip)

2009-09-22T13:12:00.014-05:00

Aunt Chrissy and Jesse before we left for the service and below of Phillip

Perhaps another VD ordination in 25 years or so?

The rest of these save the last were all taken by Phillip after the Ordination Service.

Thanks so much Pete for capturing the evening on video!!

So glad you were able to fly out to be with us!

and Matt too!! (and we'll be awaiting yours, D.V.!)

Such a great honour to have Katrina and her mom(Tante Marg) there!

The day after celebrating with our Church family

The Long-Anticipated Day - May 22, Curt's Ordination Day!

2009-09-10T20:38:00.000-05:00

Officially now Rev. Curt VD!

Thanks Mom for the beautiful cake! Once again, you out did yourself.
Brunch the next day with our families and a few friends.

Jer having some fun.

That "fun" sending Ruth right up a tree! :-)

Phillip "saving" his Aunt Ruth.

Spring Highlights

2009-09-09T08:44:00.000-05:00

Since I'm short on time, there will be few comments on these pictures.

Opa & Oma B's 50th wedding anniversary. This is them with their great-grandchildren!
Jesse's first birthday!

Second day of opening gifts.

Phillip loves police cars!

Phillip sleeping peacfully in bed before...

Jesse jumps in bed with him!

Backyard fun!

Our Trip to South Carolina, part 2

2009-01-28T22:57:00.007-05:00

On Sunday morning, we visited our former home Church, Fellowship Presbyterian. We then, went for our second service to the OPC in Aiken, SC(a beautiful town!!), where we heard Curt's former classmate, Kevin M. preach. We then went to M.'s house for the night. What a time we a great time we had there!

On the way home, we stopped in Charleston for a couple days. We spent a while walking along the battery, looking at the gorgeous homes.

Our trip to Greenville, SC Part 1- GPTS

2009-01-21T22:47:00.009-05:00

Here is the brand new Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary building. Stately indeed!

Front entry way

Offices

Boardroom

One of Three class rooms

Student lounge

Back of the building

Christmas Eve Day

2008-12-26T10:51:00.006-05:00

We started our day by digging out from under all the snow that had fallen.

Then in the afternoon Aunt Abby and Uncle Tim decorated Christmas cookies with Phillip.

Not sure where most of the candies went, on the cookies or in Phillip's mouth...

A warm bath to end the day

More Random Pictures

2008-12-26T10:17:00.005-05:00

Camping out in the tent in the living room

Jasper comes over!!! Wrestletime ... and Storytime

Ethan and Gideon over

The sleep-robber, hardly remorseful

Some random pictures of our boys

2008-11-27T22:01:00.000-05:00

Trip to Brockville, ON

2008-11-25T22:10:00.007-05:00

I got a preaching exchange with Brockville URC for a Sunday. So, after leaving Phillip with Opa & Oma in Bowmanville, we headed up with Jesse to a cottage they had arranged for us. The cottage was on Graham Lake, about 15 minutes from the lovely rivertown, Brockville. The hospitality we received was great -- we were spoiled!!
On Monday, we headed back -- but we took our time by driving down the Thousand Islands Parkway, along the St. Lawrence River. Although it is winter and the weather was cloudy, it was still very beautiful. One thing that we thought was crazy was that there was a cottage on every island -- no matter how dinky the island or how close the shoreline.

We stopped to climb a rock, and after peaking behind some "No Trespassing" signs, we saw this statue, facing the river. There was no way you could see it from the road.

We went through the town of Ganonoque, which looks like nothing from the 401, but is, in fact, a very picturesque little town, with nice old church buildings, beautiful riverviews and old houses. Here are a few pics of it:

An Anglican Church (stupid powerlines, as Oom Cor would say)

St. Andrews Presbyterian Church

Just a cute house next to the church

There was cool alleys on every block, so we just had to try go down a few. Then Jen got tired of that and we moved on.
What Jen wanted to do -- a 5 hour trip to Boldt Castle and back, through the islands with a tour of the castle. Only open in the summer. Phew (just kidding).

Flashback... the Family Cottage Trip in August

2008-10-21T21:19:00.010-05:00

Pictures of our trip to the lodge that we never posted.

Jesse & Uncle Tim

Jesse & Oma

The cousins & Oma

Phillip's ear & the cottage waterfront

Unk Jim's obstacle course

a smallmouth caught by Phillip

A Short Fishing Expedition with Mark

2008-09-30T07:35:00.001-05:00

Here is the fruit of half an hour of fishing on the creek in their backyard -- a 3lb 3oz rainbow. I just scaled and gutted it and after Mom V. and Jen baked it in the oven, we enjoyed it for supper!

Our Trip to a Cottage on Georgian Bay

2008-09-25T08:51:00.006-05:00

A couple weeks ago, we went on a family vacation to a cottage just north of Parry Sound on Sand Bay. We were thankful we could take along Abby for company and for help with the kids. Towards the weekend, Dad and Mom V. also came up for a few days. Here are a few pictures.

A quick stop by the Bobby Orr Hockey Hall of Fame for the sake of the hockey-luving Vogels'.

2008-07-27T23:04:00.010-05:00

Happiness Comes in Round Bubbly Packages
~ our sweet, little Jesse ~

Oh, and did we mention, that at 3 months he's 16 lbs, half the size of his 3 year old brother?!

2008-07-08T08:11:00.008-05:00

Fresh, BBQ'ed, Stream-Caught Trout
We were at our family's place near Bowmanville for the weekend, and so I, hoping that large trout would still be in the creek that winds its way through the dense cedar woods next to their house, went out to stalk them early Monday morning. After finding out through a number of hard and painful lessons that red ants had claimed pretty much all the land on the edges of the creek, I stood in the flooded areas(due to a beaver dam) and fished in a deeper pool. I got two nice, big trout on my line, but they both snapped my line just like that, and then it was time to go back. But later that day around 5pm, I went out again, and caught a smaller trout that I was able to handle and get in... Perhaps with some more attempts, I'll be able to reel in a bigger one!

2008-06-22T17:06:00.006-05:00

Fishing Trip with Dad and Matt
Saturday morning we met up at Mountsberg for the first time this year! The fishing wasn't too bad, probably due to the warm front and the intermittent rains. Whenever the rain stopped, the fish started striking. We caught about 6 pike or so(a couple really small, and the rest about 20-26 " range), a largemouth, and Matt caught 2 crappie, and a bunch of little panfish on worms.

Hopefully better luck for a BIG one next time!

Phillip's Fishing Trip!

2008-06-16T21:15:00.002-05:00

I went fishing with Phillip tonight at the Grand River, under a bridge. Phillip did much better than I did! (though father's don't get much fishing time in when fishing with kids...) Among the 3 or 4 little rock bass he caught, he also reeled in these himself...

2008-05-06T23:08:00.001-05:00

For the sake of our recently-lost sister, Ruth, (who is java-script disabled)
a few pictures of the new one, and a few more besides.

the gift "From Phillip" (really from Dad & Mom VD)

and a picture of the mother in all her pre-delivery glory (for those who asked)

2008-04-28T23:41:00.012-05:00

Welcoming ... Jesse William!!

All thanks and praise be to our blessed Heavenly Father, who has given to us a wondrous gift, another boy! Jesse (7 lbs, 12 oz.) was born around 5:30 PM, on April 28, 2008 DV a new brother to Phillip.

He came into the world quickly and dangerously. He was born after 45 minutes in the hospital, making for about 3 hours of labor in all. He made his entrance, however, with his umbilical cord around his neck, cutting off all circulation. In God's glorious grace, the midwives were able to reach in and cut the cord. Even though the baby's heartbeat dipped way down and he didn't breathe for a few minutes, God enabled him to quickly recover with vigor and strength!

Praise God, baby and mother are both doing well! Please join us in thanking Him that His mercies endure forever!

"For Jehovah is good; his lovingkindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness unto all generations." Psalm 100:5

All In A Days Work

2008-04-03T22:43:00.002-05:00

Here are some pictures of Phillip from the last couple weeks:

Goofing around with Daddy

Talking to Oma on the phone

Playing with Grandpa

Warming and drying up at the fire afterwards

"Helping" Grandpa

Skating at Opa & Oma's -- Phillip LOVES to skate, and he does quite well!

Drinking his "coffee" (hot chocolate) after the skate

Next post will be from our new place -- Cambridge, Ontario!!
(where we'll be living til at least New Years)

Fire and Ice: Beauty to Keep on the Other Side of the Glass

2008-02-25T20:03:00.002-05:00

Whenever we go to our folks in Bowmanville during the winter months, we always enjoy the woodstoves for the opportunity to play with fire, and lately, even cooking foiled-wrapped fish fillets. As well, there's hardly anything better than waking up in the morning and soaking the intense heat that radiates from the stove -- its almost like a mother's hug. And so, after cleaning the glass door, I had to snap a few pictures -- unfortunately, there's a bit of a reflection in the picture.
But going to Bowmanville in the winter also means lots of beautiful snow!!! Pretty flurries, snow-laced cedar branches, and the luxuriant, soft, white duvet draped over creation's surfaces.
And of course, going to Bowmanville in the winter also means skating and good ol' Canadian hockey...

A Valentine's Dinner from the Love of my Life!!

2008-02-23T22:36:00.007-05:00

Being practical, Dutch, non-conformists, we decided to keep with our recent not-yet-tradition of delaying Valentine's Day until a week or so later when everything is on sale -- and so I still have to take my lovely wife out for dinner. However, she spread out a gorgeous and delicious meal for me to come home to on Thursday afternoon! Thank-you sweetheart!

I love you!!!

Trip to Niagara Falls (a little while back)

2008-02-21T21:12:00.000-05:00

First we stopped by Niagara-on-the-lake. What a cute little town! It was nice to visit in the off-season. No crowd, lots of parking -- the way we (particularly Curt) like it, at least for the money.

...and then to the Falls

We were delighted to have Ruth with us for the evening! She always make great company. We had a nice walk down Ripley Ave to the American Falls.
The next evening we went out for dinner to the Love Boat. The place was cool and the food amazing! Curt got a seafood platter and I got shrimp alfredo.

We took the Niagara Parkway on the way home from the Falls to Fort Erie. It's a beautiful drive with the river and park on one side and lovely houses on the other.

Thanks again Dad & Mom VD for babysitting!

Winter's Always Better on the Other Side of the Lake...

2008-01-26T20:37:00.000-05:00

Phillip and Uncle Tim on the family deck in winter's first snowfall

If Life Were a Drama, Part 2

2008-01-19T10:28:00.000-05:00

(a continuation from Part 1 on Ruth's blog)

Our Baby Sis, Ruth

An eligible miss, sweet and kind, whose sunshine keeps the faces round her smiling. She loves to help and join in, or simply just talk. She's a regular toy benefactor and the sock & scarf outfitter of her tyrant nephew, Phillip. Yet her openhearted benevolence reaches not only to the realm of people, but also deep into the animal kingdom: she is smitten with affection for her canine friends(now distant or removed), she operates a goldfish orphanage out of a jug (she hasn't the heart to flush or flay the critters), and her recent new aspiration is to adopt a baby fox(do foxes taste good?).

She's also recognized as the artsy one among us: she paints on walls (check her room), makes splendiferous greeting cards, and composes entertaining poems and blog entries. And she's the great storytime advocate so we can all feel like we're in Kindergarten again. She's an Anne of Green Gables when it comes to sleeping -- maybe not in a canoe reciting poetry, but at least throughout the house and especially in the backyard in the green grass where the sun can warm(and scorch) her face and the wind can unlock the tresses of her hair. But among her traits, she's also uncompromisingly principled. Her conservative views together with her courage bring us reports of a continuing battle she wages with her evil professor.

But lest one think she's pure intellectual, she's also a genuine blond. The fact that her social circle stretches to cities and areas beyond the Niagara Peninsula means much time in transit. But for Ruth, normal traveling times are greatly extended because she is quite geographically challenged. In fact, it is hard to remember a trip where she did not get lost! I believe she has now taken a liking for gas-bar boys. Yet, this has one advantage, curfews are now useless. And if you think Ruth's problem is bad, imagine what happens when she gets together(if she can make it there) with her two blond (I use this term with great affection and almost no condescension; ) ) cousins!

Among her other quirks, she's a picklejuice drinker and gourmet sauce connoisseur (she tries sauce with everything or with other sauces). As an even younger youngster, she would make itty-bitty popsicles from any edible household product she could find. She still loves making food concoctions, a few of which are not suitable for human consumption (as in her recent mango affair). Nevertheless, while her food concoctions may not all be desirable, her character mixture is charming and wonderful. She's our sweet lil' sister, a gift from God, an upright young lady, and a joy to have around the house! We love you "Aunt Ruth!"

Congratulations Jaco & Rashida!!!!

2008-01-16T10:42:00.001-05:00

We give thanks to God for the birth of their little precious girl, Amina (just over 5 lbs!). In God's grace, both the baby and the mother are doing fine, despite the troubles they have endured. May God bless them in the months and years ahead!

Ready for a nap!

2008-01-11T17:34:00.000-05:00

What's more important -- food or sleep?

Getting ready for the border... at VD Makeshift Studios

2008-01-08T08:34:00.000-05:00

As you might know, we had hoped to go Holland, Michigan for an internship, but the US denied us visas. The process of applying included pictures, of course (with specific requirements). The good thing, or so we thought, was that we could do them ourselves instead of paying the money for someone else to take them.

Unfortunately it did not work out, and we still had to go and pay the money. Here are our attempts at taking a picture of Phillip -- instead of closing his mouth and having a natural expression, he told us what happens when a train goes past Grandma's house.

"Dr. Phil" as his Uncle Jer would say.

Our Lil' Phillip of Late

2007-12-18T19:45:00.000-05:00

All because of the resident aunt...

Phillip is much taken by his kind Aunt Ruth. Because of this,
he has an obsession with wearing some of her clothes:
her hats, scarves, gloves, and socks(you can just barely see them).

Late as usual:Our Trip to Michigan & Mexico in Late October

2007-12-11T10:38:00.000-05:00

1. Holland, Michigan After Steve & Amy's wedding, we gave up our dear lil' Phil to the care of Dad & Mom V and kids again. But this time we would be separated for almost two weeks. Some tears were shed... Then we headed out to Holland, Michigan to visit Messiah's Independent Reformed Church. Since an internship was being considered, they wanted to meet us, and we them. So, Curt preached for them that Sunday. We had a great time there. Unfortunately, we forgot to take pictures. Here's all we took!

Out on the beach.

2. Tepic, Mexico
On Thursday morning, we left early for the Detroit airport, and from there we flew to Guadelehara, Mexico. We then stayed for five days in Mexico: the first four in Tepic, the last day in Puerta Vallerta. It was a great experience!

We were struck by how different life is there for we who are pampered Americans. And we saw the great need for the gospel, and how God is working through the missionaries, Pastor Rich, Ange and family, and Pastor Zach, Sandy and family. We stayed with Rich & Ange and had a wonderful time, enjoying time with their sweet kids and enjoying some great excursions into the city.

We had the privilege of sleeping in a cute room on top of their main roof. Here we are looking out from the roof across the city.

This is the chapel room in the mission.

The Pastor Zach & Sandy took us out for the first full day we were there. It was great to meet them and to hear how God has worked in their lives, eventually leading them to Mexico.

Their two cute girls, Olivia and Brianna.

They took us to an indoor marketplace. It was so neat: crowded, cluttered aisles, full of people and stuff. I bought a lime/lemon squeezer there.

Driving in the streets was like stock car racing. Award goes to Pastor Rich for providing worthy competition for the Mexicans without any incident!

We drove up an outlying mountain and saw the city from a new vantage point. This is only part of the city. The city population is around half a million or so.

The picture on the left is the "backyard" of Pastor Zach and Sandy. Apparently, they really had to resurrect the house, which they did. It is very pretty. There is a little gully next to the house, which Pastor Zach has cleaned up and made into a little park (right pic).

A Roman Catholic cathedral across from the city square.

Pastor Rich & Ange's beautiful house! On the right, having dinner with their family and Paco. The food was great -- compliments to the cooks!

3. Puerta Vallerta, Mexico
On Monday morning, Pastor Rich drove us to the bus depot in Tepic, and from there we took a winding bus trip for 3 hours to Puerta Vallerta on the coast. We stayed overnight at a resort there: Americana Fiesta (we got the reservations for a great deal!)

Here's the lobby!

Curt took these pictures from the balcony of our room.

I took these pictures while having supper. The food was amazing!

Breakfast the next morning.

What a wonderful trip! Thank-you to our hosts and to the babysitters who took great care of lil' Phillipino!

Overview of our Fall

2007-11-14T20:52:00.000-05:00

1. Charleston Lake Provincial Park
After a busy summer, we took off on a week and a half camping trip to Charleston Lake, a park between Kingston and Brockville, Ontario. It was a wonderful time, since this was the first time we had a vacation together for more than a couple of days since our honeymoon. Since this was Jen's first time camping, we left Phillip at home for the first 5 days or so in the competent and loving care of Phillip's Oma and Opa, uncle and aunts in Bowmanville.

Heading out in our canoe on the lake, watching the loons.

After one of our canoe trips, a heron was fishing near our landing spot. So, as we approached, we started flashing pictures.

On Sunday, we went to the Ebenezer URC of Brockville and had the privilege of sitting under Rev. John Roke's preaching. After, we drove up to Ottawa to visit our brother, Jeremy. We went for a walk around the Parliament buildings and then down to the Ottawa River.

Some romantic antics our camera captured along the way...

During the camping trip, Curt did a "little" fishing. Actually, we caught quite a lot of fish, but here are the two larger ones: a 2lb 13 oz largemouth bass

and a 3 lb 3 oz smallmouth bass. They both tasted very good! :)

Oma and Opa V. brought Phillip back to us!! How happy we all were to see each other again. Phillip really enjoyed it as well!

2. Prince Edward Island

After our camping trip, Curt preached for one Sunday in the URC churchplant in PEI. He had a great time there for the 48 hours he was there. Here is the view of the East River valley from the living room of the place he stayed at.

The group rented this little church building for their services. This is a typical maritime church building: white, clapboard, with a prominent steeple.

3. Dad & Mom's VD's 35th Anniversary Celebration
We, the VD kids, (helped) host an open house and reception for(with) our parents. We are thankful for the love and devotion they have heaped upon us! While, unfortunately, Jonathan was not able to make it since he is in Viet Nam, Laurie came from Washington state, along with her daughters Emily, Marie and Holly. Phillip had such a good time with Holly(although he did frequently bully her), and he still asks about "Olly!"

Shortly after this, Curt, Phillip and I went to visit my new midwife. (Yes, praise God, number two is on the way and due April 24, 2008!!) After, we enjoyed a delicious almost *free* lunch at Boston Pizza, using one of our Welcome Wagon coupons.

4. Steve & Amy's wedding

Lastly, we had the privilege of attending the wedding of our cousins, Steve and Amy.
May God richly bless their new life together!

Overview of our Summer

2007-10-26T23:07:00.000-05:00

Here's just a quick look at the different things we did this past summer. As you might know, we spent the summer in Jordan, Ontario, where Curt had a 3 month internship at the URC here. It was a wonderful summer!

Just down the hill at the end of our street is Jordan Harbor, which really isn't a harbor, but a little bay off Lake Ontario. It's a shallow, marshy place that seems to be alright for fishing and canoing. The train track that runs close to our home crosses over the bay on a great trestle bridge, which you can see in the background.

A 10 lb catfish Curt caught.

For one Monday afternoon, we took an outing to a park in Welland. The Welland River is on one side, the Old Welland Canal on the other, and a strip of park land in between. A great place for a picnic! It was a beautiful afternoon.

Dad, Matt, and Curt also went for a fishing trip on the Old Welland Canal and caught a few bass and panfish.

A trip to Niagara Falls, while Mom babysat Phillip! Thanks Mom, for all the babysitting!

In August, we spent a few days with the Vogel clan during their traditional vacation at the "cottage" near Bancroft. It was a great time!

Phillip became even more accomplished in his jumping skills over the summer. Here is a picture of a combination jump/kick that required great agility and concentration and got the ball moving all of 3 feet.

Phillip having a bath in the jacuzzi in our apartment.

Jen had the honor of being a bridesmaid in her cousin's Melanie & Chad's wedding in Cornwall.

Grad and onward!

2007-07-23T19:21:00.000-05:00

Finally! another post: our South Carolinian Friends...

2007-07-06T18:41:00.000-05:00

Our last get-together with a few of our friends (Daniel & Raewyn, Kevin, Rachel & their sweet kids). A wonderful time! Hopefully more such times to come? sometime?

Daniel romping with the kids, William and Olivia

The wonderful couple upstairs, who we miss!

And as Bob, our landlord would say, the trolls downstairs. As you see us here in the stairwell, so we spent many a time talking to each other, going hither nor thither, but passing the time enjoying each other's company. Daniel & Raewyn gave us a framed picture of both of us so that we might remember these times! Thank-you!

Dad & Mom's Visit

2007-04-28T22:01:00.000-05:00

Last month my parents dropped by for a short visit. It was so nice to have them back down here one last time before we move. The weather was very nice the whole time they were here so we were able to enjoy the outdoors.

Every morning Mom, Dad and Phillip went for a walk together.

Mom and Phillip enjoying our beautiful spring. Not but a week later a hard frost killed all those beautiful flowers and blossoms you see in this picture along with 90% of the peach and apple crop in the area.

Thanks to Daniel and Raewyn for hosting a tasty dinner.

Dad bought this very interesting rocking chair in Greenville for Mom's 50th Birthday (I'm not in trouble for saying that am I Mom?!).

Reunion of Friends

2007-04-27T21:45:00.000-05:00

A week ago I had the privilege of meeting up with some old friends of mine. It seems that the last time we saw each other was about six years ago! Thanks for driving up (or was it down) to South Carolina to see us here.

Emily, Amanda (their cousin) and Becky.

Childhood friends now mom's with toddlers!

Phillip and Ellie

Phillip let Ellie drive his car but kept a close eye on her.

I had a wonderful time with you guys. It was so neat to hear what the Lord has been doing in your lives and how He has blessed you. Hope we can see each other again sometime!

Hunting Island - Day Two

2007-04-17T18:16:00.000-05:00

We woke up to a beautiful sunrise. Curt took this picture in his pajamas through the tent flap.

Making breakfast together was a lot of fun, and it tasted OK, too...

Curt even got his morning toast (don't ask how it tasted...)

After breakfast, we took a long walk down the beach, the other way.

The tide was out so we saw some interesting things - don't ask me what they were, or what they had been. (in Curt's hand, an upside-down live sand dollar)

????someone lost their mind???

Another reason to stay in beautiful SC...

Hunting Island - Day One

2007-03-31T18:27:00.000-05:00

Our friends once again, as a gift to us, volunteered to look after Phillip for two days. So we took them up on it and headed out a few days later. We've always wanted to visit the State Park on Hunting Island and this was our last chance. We were not disappointed! As you'll see from the pictures, we camped, (which was as wonderful as the romantic dreams I had of camping -- so very good), Curt did some fishing, and we took two long walks on the beach. The park was so beautiful - the pictures just do not do justice.

Our long walk the first afternoon we were there.

Remnants of a wooded area which looked really beautiful.

Campfire dinner - never tasted so good!

The Palmetto.

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. "
Psalm 19:1

A Few of My Favorite Things...

2007-03-16T23:15:00.000-05:00

wearing Mommy's shoes,

brushing my teeth,

having books read to me,

playing with the cats,

pushing my car around,

being a fireman,

and of course soaking up our 30 something degree weather!!

Do I have a tan yet?

And the winners are...

2007-03-16T22:19:00.000-05:00

Pretty Much Everybody...

Abby & Tim - Muffy
Jonathan - Pip, Hatchette
Matt - Humpty (sorry, Phillip's not sure about naming his pets after his meals...)
Mom - Henriette (what would happen if this name was rejected???!!!)

Go down to the pics of the chicks to see what name applied to what bird.

Winners can come to receive their prize. Anytime.

Phillip John presiding.

Three More Chicks to Name!!!

2007-03-10T09:05:00.000-05:00

Curt bought three more chicks a couple days ago to keep our two company.

An Amerocana, (Henriette)

a Barred Rock, (Humpty)

and a White Rock for something different. (Muffy)

It's taken them some time to get used to each other. However now they all get along quite well - although we have noticed that our first two still stick together.

Phillip's New Chicks

2007-03-08T20:45:00.000-05:00

The long cook in the oven...
Phillip can't wait, although he had no idea what he was waiting for.

Sunday evening the first chick pipped.

By Monday morning the second chick pipped. Worried that these chicks might not make it we took it upon ourselves to help them out a little. We chipped away the shell around the air cell. Very shortly thereafter our first chick emerged. Since it was a success we did the same to the other one and happily got the same result.

The first chick "hatching" (how will Phillip ever eat eggs again?!).

The second one taking a much needed rest.

This was the second and last of twelve eggs to hatch. (9 infertile, 1 died before hatching)

(On the left we have Hatchette, on the right, Pip)

Aren't they cute? The black one is a bantum, which is why it is quite a bit smaller.

HELP!!! Phillip is taking suggestions for the names of his chicks. Winner is entitled to a hug and kiss from Phillip (some restrictions may apply).

Happy Birthday Dear Husband!

2007-03-05T20:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow... I Love You!

We give thanks every day that our Heavenly Father gave you to us. First, as a husband to me and now as a father to Phillip. We love you! ~ Jen & Phillip

Ruth Comes to Visit Us!

2007-02-28T18:26:00.000-05:00

Ground-Breaking for the New Seminary Building, February 17 - on a damp, cold winter day (cold for SC), just before Ruth got here. This would be Ruth's worksite for the next week, grinding back the mortar between the bricks on the face of the building, and cleaning bricks that had been torn off the front of the building, which would be used to make the window openings smaller.

We took Ruth out for an afternoon to experience the downtown area of our beautiful city, Greenville. At the end of our walk downtown, we came to Reedy River Park.

What the writer was thinking of with the song, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow..." (actually, it was some of Ruth's hair in front of the lens)

At the top of Reedy River Falls

Erosion can be pretty

Early daffodils

The day before Ruth left, we went to J. Verne Smith Park (on John A. Robinson Lake) for a picnic. We didn't realize the park closed at 6PM, but the kind rangers left it open a little bit longer. We had a good bbq and a wonderful time.

Phillip is ready to chauffeur Ruth back to Canada...

Visit Ruth's Blog to see her side of the story.

Our visit to Biltmore Estate.

2007-02-27T23:36:00.000-05:00

Our chance to visit the Biltmore House (finally!) came by way of the Seminary on January 26. They had a good group rate that we got in on. It was just for the afternoon which only gave us enough time to quickly see the house. It sure was worth every penny though!

For those of you who like a little history:

Biltmore House took six years and 1,000 men to build; it opened its doors on Christmas Eve in 1895. With a 390-foot façade, the House has more than 11 million bricks, 250 rooms, 65 fireplaces, 43 bathrooms, 34 bedrooms, and three kitchens, all of which are contained in over four acres of floor space. The massive stone spiral staircase rises four floors and has 102 steps. Through its center hangs an iron chandelier weighing 1,700 pounds and containing 72 electric light bulbs.

At its completion, Biltomore House was one of the most innovative and technologically advanced homes in the world. Imagine indoor hot and cold running water, elevators, indoor heating, a fire alarm system, refrigeration, electric lightbulbs, and 10 Bell telephones - all unheard-of luxuries at the turn of the century.

Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

2007-02-27T22:18:00.000-05:00

January 23-24
When our dear friends offered to babysit Phillip for two days, we
spontaneously decided to head toward the mountains for a two-
day trip on the Parkway. We started out on the Parkway at
Roaring Gap/Cherry Lane, heading west toward Asheville.

The Parkway runs along the top of a continuous ridge, often making for
beautiful scenery on both sides of the road. Here is the beautiful scenery of my wife with a marvellous vista behind.

We stayed in a great hotel/resort at Blowing Rock, in the VIP suite due to terrific off-season discount rates.

For supper, we went out quite late to a nice little restaurant in downtown Blowing Rock.
The next day was also wonderful, except that we came across this sign much too often... Unfortunately, most of the parkway was closed the next day due to ice and snow patches. Nevertheless, the trip was scenic, as we still drove on many mountain rodes all the way to Asheville.

An afternoon walk around Greenville.

2007-02-07T15:06:00.000-05:00

We spent an afternoon in the middle of January walking around downtown Greenville. The weather was a little cool but we still really enjoyed it!